Jesus Wept

What would make Jesus so overcome with grief that he would cry? The Gospel of Luke recounts the story of Jesus drawing near to Jerusalem before his triumphal entry. “As he drew near, he saw the city and wept over it (19:41).” Jesus wept because he knew the days were coming when Jerusalem would be destroyed. The thought of the destruction of Jerusalem brought Jesus to tears. The holy city was, in fact, leveled by the Romans in 70 AD.

The Gospel of John tells the story of the death of a close friend of Jesus, Lazarus. When the grief-stricken Mary and Martha, the sisters of Lazarus, approached Jesus the gospel says, “Jesus wept (11:35).”

Jesus weeps with us today for his children who suffer violence. He weeps for families and friends who mourn. Jesus is with us in our tears. People who suffer grief often feel that God is far away and absent from their situation. That is when we must be the face of Christ to them. We must accompany them in their sadness and assure them of God’s love and concern by BEING God’s love and concern to them. This sounds daunting but it need not be complicated.

• Don’t avoid people who are grieving. They will feel isolated.
• When you don’t know what to say, don’t offer platitudes. Just say “I’m so sorry and I’m here for you.”
• Don’t blame God for the suffering: by saying “I’m sure God knows best.” or “God wanted your loved one.” We shouldn’t make God into a capricious “people zapper.”
• Sometimes the best thing to say is nothing. Instead, listen to them when they want to share their story. Just BE with them if they do not want to talk.
• Assure them, especially children, that God loves them and cares about them.

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. (Psalm 38:18)